Colposcopy on Thursday, supposed to be skiing on Saturday? Help please!

[maisiemoo]

Have just spent a really useful hour reading some of the threads on colposcopy - your advice is amazing and very encouraging. But one question I did have - I'm flying out for a ski holiday on Saturday 48 hours after the procedure. I have been told I have moderate or severe dyskariosis so would they treatme on Thursday - should I cancel my holiday? Can anyone advise?

I'm a newbie so I hope you don;t mind me asking for advice.

I think you would be best asking the colposcopy staff (either the consultant or nurse). I had a LLETZ a few years ago and I didn't feel like doing much the next day; travelling would have probably been ok but not sure about skiing. But skiing scares the life out of me anyway!
They may be able to deal the treatment until you come back - but it'll depend on how booked up the clinics are. The clinics round my way are pretty busy at present.

Thanks for that. It's the first time I've ever had any problems like this so I'm a bit worried. I thought about asking them not to treat on the day but delay for a week but I felt a bit like I would be 'using' the NHS - feels a bit cheeky asking for an extra appointment just 'cos I have a holiday booked!

I doubt they will treat you the same day - they usually wait for you to have abnormal results for a good 2 years before they do any threatment - Then they will book you in for treatment, so you know you will be having it done. They will have to inform you of the procedure first, so its not likely you will have treatment - just another smear. Sometimes mild changed can rectify themselves, which is why they like to wait first, but if it doesn't then they will treat it.

I had Wire Loop excision done in Oct and they wouldn't even let me drive home, they made me wait until my husband came to pick me up - I didn't think it would be that bad so I drove myself there with my baby - and I felt fine after it, but they say hou HAVE to avoid lifting and such for at least 3 days and no strenuous exercise for 2 weeks - it is quite serious, because if you dislodge the scab, you can hemmorage. So, if they do the procedure (which is highly unlikely) then Skiing would be a no no.

I would say your best bet is to ring them ans ask what they will be doing - explain that you are going to be going skiing, and if it is for the procedure, you can reschedule your appointment.

Thanks. I'll give them a ring this afternoon and have a chat. To be honest the holiday is the main thing - my dh had a heart attack 7 weeks ago - he's doing really well and we'd decided it was ok for me to have this break away with some girlfriends. I've got 'babysitters' and a freezer full of food lined up for him and my dd for the week and the thought of not getting any kind of break at all is pretty rubbish - I'll be happy to sit in a mountain cafe, read books and drink gluhwein! Sounds selfish but it's been a pretty stressful couple of months - this extra stuff was really just what I didn't need.

I had a colposcopy about 6 months ago - When I went I was given the choice depending on what they saw - either a cone biopsy there and then under a local or to come back to have it done under a general.

I couldn't take it all in at that point so I went back a few weeks later to have the cone biposy under a general.

It could be they don't treat you at all or you have a punch biopsy where they take a very small sample.

It will all depend but then again nothing would stop me cancelling a holiday!

colposcopy clinics do vary, some tend to offer treatment at first visit, others prefer to have a short 'assessment' first visit, if that makes sense. If you've been referred with moderate or severe dyskaryosis then it is slightly more likely that they'll offer you treatment.
The two years mentioned above tends to be for low grade abnormal.
As you've said ringing them to have a chat is the best bet, they're used to sorting and changing appointments out. Hopefully they'll be able to advise you what to do.

sorry, i didn't read the moderate or severe part - mine was moderate and they left mine for well over 2 years (but thats a whole other thread) and when they took it away, they found more than what they initially thought, and when tested it was high risk. mine was done under local and its fine, like a smear but lasts longer.